Immigration: Keeping the UK at the Heart of Global Science and Engineering

This CaSE report examines the role of immigration in UK science and engineering today, and makes recommendations to ensure that immigration policy is supporting the Government’s aims to make Britain the “best place in the world for science and business”.

The report makes 12 positive recommendations to the Government for actions it could take to demonstrate its commitment to strengthening the UK’s position as a leading global hub of science and engineering.

• Actively promote the UK as a place to learn, earn, and contribute
• Support international researchers to maintain links with their home countries to promote international development
• Protect the free movement of people in Europe
• Harmonise with EU legislation to support researcher mobility
• Fast-track peer-reviewed applicants through Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent)
• Abolish the Tier 2 (General) cap
• Permit research activity overseas in Indefinite Leave to Remain rules
• Create a new Tier 5 (Temporary Worker – Science, Research, and Academia) visa
• Allow trusted Sponsors to certify visitor visas for low-risk researchers
• Extend the international graduate job search period
• Improve online visa information to make it more user-friendly
• Reform the Resident Labour Market Test and increase the frequency of Certificate of Sponsorship allocations

CaSE issued a call for evidence which attracted over 100 responses from organisations and individuals. CaSE conducted one-to-one interviews and held two stakeholder meetings with science and engineering organisations from the public, private, and charity sectors. The report was also informed throughout by a comprehensive review of the published literature.

The report was sponsored by Digital Science – a leading technology incubator focused on jump-starting innovation in the research community

The report was launched at a breakfast roundtable discussion held jointly with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global Health.